The National Traffic System (NTS) Primer

The ARRL National Traffic System (NTS) is a well-organized system
for routing formal written message traffic (radiograms) from
any point in the United States to any other. Messages are relayed
from one ham to the next, using a variety of modes such as
voice, Morse code, radio teletype, or other digital radio modes. The
NTS has it origins in the earliest days of radio as is indicated by
the name, "American Radio Relay League" itself.

In times of emergency, radiograms may be used to communicate
information critical to saving lives or property or to inquire or
learn about the health or welfare of a disaster victim. During these
times, NTS works in concert with the
Amateur Radio Emergency Service
(ARES) and other emergency and disaster relief organizations.

However, the NTS does not operate only during disasters. It
operates day in and out 7 days a week, 365 days a year and is used
by thousands of people, hams and non-hams alike, to send
and receive brief greeting messages (happy birthday, congratulations
on the arrival of a new baby, hope you feel better, etc.) as long as
they are of a personal, non-commercial nature (as defined in the FCC
rules).

Subject to international treaties governing "third party"
messages, many foreign countries also allow their hams to exchange
radiograms with US hams.

NETS:

The United States and Canada
are divide into three Traffic Areas , Pacific,
Central and Eastern. Each of these areas have daily nets
that meet four times a day. The Pacific Area Net meets on
14.345 MHz. at 1030 and 1430. Also on 3652 kHz. and 7032
kHz. at 2030.

The Traffic Areas are broken into 12 Regions. Washington
is part of the 7th Region which has 4 nets that meet at
0945*, 1515*, 1930* and 2130* on 7235 kHz. with an alternate
of 3925 kHz. for the first two sessions and 3560 kHz with an
alternate of 7048 kHz. for the last two sessions. Region 7
includes the states of Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon and
Washington. And the Canadian Provinces of Alberta and
British Columbia.

Within Washington State there are several nets that meet
each and every day. The first of these traffic nets is the
Noon
Time Net, but don't let the name fool you, it opens for
traffic at 0930* every day. They meet on the frequency of
7268.5 kHz. with an alternate of 7283.5 kHz. There is a 75
meter version of this net that begins at 1145* for those who
can't make the 40 meter net.

There is the Trans Continental
Corps (TCC), a group of dedicated amateurs, transfers
messages across the North American Continent. The TCC is not
a net but a group of designated stations who have the
responsibility for seeing that inter-area traffic reaches
its destination. Click on the link for more information the
TCC.

*-All times are local Pacific Time.

Then, for those in the Puget Sound area, the
Puget
Sound Traffic System Net that meets at 1730* on 146.820 MHz.
(103.5). These local VHF nets provide an outlet for traffic
originated by hams who do not have HF privileges and allows them an
opportunity to practice handling formal, written traffic on almost a
daily basis.

Then there is the is the Beaver State Net on 3920 kHz at 1745*,
even though its in Oregon they service Washington too. Then the
Washington State
Amateur Radio Traffic System (WARTS, as it's better known) on
3975 kHz. at 1800. This is followed closely by the Northwest Single
Sideband Net on 3945 kHz at 1830*. And the second session of the
Oregon Emergency Net , another Oregon net, at 1900 on 3985 kHz.
There is a first session at 1800 on the same frequency. And finally
the Columbia Basin Net (The CBN) on 3960 kHz. at 1900*.

For the CW operators there are RN7 nets that meets at 1930* and
2120 on 3565 kHz (alt. 7048 kHz.) and the Washington Sate Net (WSN)
that meets at 0730*, 1845*, and 2145* on3563 kHz.
(alt. 7038 and 1818 kHz.). All of these nets meet daily for the
purpose of handling traffic. For slow-speed CW operators, there is
the West Coast Net (WCN) on 3540 kHz. at
1900*.

These nets are here for the purpose of handling formal message
traffic and to get your messages into the NTS system.

Non-hams wishing to avail themselves of the NTS are encouraged to
contact a local ham friend or neighbor. There's no charge to send a
radiogram. It's one of the ways ham radio serves the public
interest. (In case you are wondering, sending grandma a birthday
greeting provides ham traffic handlers with practice for
emergency communications. And, it's fun!)

Below is a sample of the radiogram form and all the information
that you may need to process a formal written messages via the
National Traffic System. These items are all spelled out in the ARRL
FSD-218

Emergency (always spelled
out) - Any message that has life and death urgency to
any person or groups of persons.(P)riority - Important messages having a
specific time limit.(W)elfare - A message that is an inquiry into
the well-being of an individual in a disaster area.(R)outine - Normal traffic during normal
times.

HXA - (Followed by number)
Collect landline delivery authorized by addressee within
____ miles. (If no number, authorization is unlimited.)HXB - (Followed by number) Cancel message if
not delivered within ____ hours of filing time; service
originating station.HXC - Report date and time of delivery (TOD)
to originating station.HXD - Report to originating station the
identity of station from which received, plus date and time.
Report identity of station to which relayed, plus date and
time, or if delivered, report date, time and method of
delivery.HXE - Delivering station get reply. from
addressee, originate message back.HXF - (Followed by number) Hold delivery until
_____. (date)HXG - Delivery by mail or landline toll call
not required. If toll or other expense involved, cancel
message and service originating station.

The number of words, punctuation, mixed
groups or numbers in the body of the message; between Break
and Break. (In an effort to minimize the amount of words in
the text you can use
ARRL Numbered Radiograms. If ARRL
Numbered Radiograms are used in the text add ARL to the
check.)

CW Procedures: The pro-sign AA
separates the parts of the address.
BT separates the
address from the text and the text from the signature.
AR marks the end of
the message: this is followed by B if there is another message to
follow, by N if this is the last or only message. It is customary to
copy the preamble, parts of the address, text and signature on
separate lines.

Phone Procedures: Use pro-words instead of pro-signs, but it is not necessary
to name each part of the message as you send it. For example a
message sent on phone (byvoice) would be as follows: "Number one routine HX
Golf W7ARC
ARL12 Silverdale Washington one eight three zero Zulu March
seventeen Donald Smith Figures one six four zero East Sixth Avenue,
Bremerton, Washington niner eight three one one Telephone figures
three six zero three one three five eight six seven Break ARL FIFTY
ARL FORTY SIX HOPE TO SEE YOU SOON (X-ray) LOVE BREAK Mom and Dad
End of Message - Over." If more than one message is to be sent to
the same receiving station the words "More to follow" would replace
"Over" until the last message is sent.

It is important to speak clearly and distinctly over phone. It is
also important to spell phonetically words that sound alike or may
have several forms of spelling; i.e. to, too, two, etc. It is also
important to spell words whose meaning may not be clear. Use the
pro-words, "I SPELL" before each of these instances. For example -
"you're". Say the word "you're." Say "I spell," and proceed with
"YANKEE OSCAR UNIFORM APOSTROPHE ROMEO ECHO." Then say the word
again, "you're". This will avoid confusion with your, you're or yore
in the message.

In an effort to keep things as simple as possible the NTS has
adopted the following standards for punctuation in a formal
radiogram:Period = X-RayQuestion Mark = Query

As these are the most common punctuations and could be easily
misconstrued as something else ALL periods in a message are
expressed as an "X" (spoken "X-ray") and all question marks are
spoken as the word "query" at the end of the sentence. Other
punctuation is permitted but in an effort to keep the check to a
minimum they are discouraged.

To shorten messages that are longer than 25 words you may want to
use one or more of the ARRL Numbered Radiogram Messages. These can
be found on the
FSD-3 and every ham should have a copy of this document in their
station for reference when delivering a message that contains and
ARRL Numbered message.

If you have any questions or wish more information, please email
me at or catch me on one of the Region or Section Nets.